Poll says Rep. Jim Matheson could beat Sen. Orrin Hatch next year

Comments

if you want this country to straighten up, there is an easy way to do it. All
you have to do is remove all the perks from being in washington and they will
not stay as long. they have a retirement system that us common folk can only
dream about and they only have to be there one term. there health care is far
better than ours, make them go just like us. take everybody that does not
contribute to social security like government workers and railroad workers and
make them contribute just like us and the system will improve. there are
remedies but those in washington do not want to make the change, they are coward
or power hungry or both, we must get rid of them. i am glad that people will
take time to have a thought because that means they care, that is a good thing.
this is a great country and this is a great state, we all nedd to keep it that
way.

botdriverMidvale, UT

Aug. 8, 2011 5:11 p.m.

People Matheson is just like every other politician, Stand up on the soap box,
and tell the people what they want to hear, and once all you deer in the
headlight people go and vote,and he win's, he is saying sucker, all the way to
the hill. I tell you when we the people have a politician that can throw
political correctness out the window, and force feed the truth down the throats
of Senators, and Representatives living in fantasyland, we the people will
finally have a voice, and our voice will tell them, that we no longer care for
the way you all are doing your job, that business as usual will not cut it. I
think that they will feel uneasy knowing that we the people may not be those
simpleton deer in the headlights anymore, and actually just might cross the
road, and see if there is something better that makes sense. Matheson is not
worth a vote. Ask yourself is he making the right decisions, or is he just a
business as usual representative, and does he listen to the people,or does he
blow them off? For me, he doesn't listen. Vote smart 2012

activ2004Clearfield, UT

Aug. 8, 2011 3:16 p.m.

"Lucy you have sum splainin to do"... What about "term
limits"?

Mr. Matheson, alias the walking, talking constitutional
fiscal contradiction. Are you kidding me? "this is not your dads
America/Utah" anymore, so don't even think about going down that bankruptcy
road. You will never be in a position to bring your fiscal ideology to the State
of Utah, you have done enough fiscal damage in the US House of Representatives,
can you say downgrade to AA?

He can summon Mr. Ross C Anderson as his
LG. to work on ridding Utah of any sign of national defense and space and
intelligence agencies as well as Mr. Peter Carroon to negotiate the US
surrendering and become fully submitted to the New World Order of communism.

He also would do well to summon [all the other] social progressive
fiscal contradictions to serve in cabinet level positions, that way Utah's
premier credit rating will be downgraded consistent with The United States
rating due to a lack of j o b s and low expectations. What newspapers and
magazines are you reading anyway?

Give me a break! No more Mr.
Matheson

RiflemanSalt Lake City, Utah

Aug. 8, 2011 11:36 a.m.

Re: Pagan | 11:02 a.m. Aug. 8, 2011

Bottom line is that a strong
Democrat (Peter Corroon) lost the gubernatorial election to a weak Republican
(Herbert) 32% to 64%. What was the main reason for this lopsided Republican
victory? Obama.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking
Poll for Monday shows that only 22% of voters strongly support Obama nationwide,
and in Utah I'm guessing that number is high.

'Yesterday, an investigation by
Reuters revealed that Wellpoint routinely drops coverage of women with breast
cancer. According to the report, Wellpoint used a computer algorithm that
automatically targeted...'

I'm sure we would be better off if your
mother or wife was dropped off private insurance when they were found to have
cancer....

(Sarcasm off)

JLFullerBoise, ID

Aug. 8, 2011 10:42 a.m.

Obama and his brand of socialism has done in three years what Hitler and his
brand of socialism and the Russians and their brand of socialism could not do in
70.

PaganSalt Lake City, UT

Aug. 8, 2011 8:48 a.m.

*'Hatch proposes drug testing for welfare, unemployment recipients' - KSL News -
06/16/10 "We should not be giving cash to people who basically are
going to go and blow it on drugs and not take care of their own children."
- Sen. Orrin Hatch

'WASHINGTON, D.C. Republicans in
the U.S. Senate are drawing a line in the virtual sand, vowing to keep all
legislation off the Senate floor unless Congress extends the Bush-era tax
cuts...'

"According to the Pew Economic Policy Group, an
extension of all of the Bush tax cuts will cost $3.1 trillion over ten years,
once the costs of servicing the debt are factored in."

I know
where my vote goes.

And it's not to Hatch, who's been part of the
problem...

for 36 years.

I'm 32.

Furry1993Somewhere in Utah, UT

Aug. 8, 2011 7:29 a.m.

To CB | 1:08 p.m. Aug. 7, 2011 Salt Lake City, UT I hope he does run
for the Senate, then maybe we can be rid of him.

--------------------

You are speaking of Chaffetz, of course.

ClarkHippoTooele, UT

Aug. 8, 2011 1:22 a.m.

I would laugh my head off if Jim Matheson ran for Hatch's senate seat and won.
Mainly because you would have Hatch's seat occupied by a Democrat, while
Ted Kennedy's old senate seat in Massachusetts is held by Republican Scott
Brown.

Oh, how ironic that would be.

isrredLogan, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 10:27 p.m.

"2012 is going to be a throw out the incumbents year just like 2010 was,
you can count on it."

I only wish you were right. I am so sick
of Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz. Those incumbents need to go!

Rick for TruthProvo, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 9:10 p.m.

A Vote for Matheson, whether it be for the house, senate or city dog catcher, no
matter how you spin it, is a vote for Obama and his continued and unprecedented
runaway spending. He will rubber-stamp Obama care and every other policy of the
far left. You have to remember the Chamberlin lessons of WW2. You cannot
negotiate or compromise with people who are determined to destroy the
constitution and everything this nation stands for. I for one will do all I can
to convince everyone I know not to support or vote for him in any capacity. Our
country cannot survive another term of people like him in control of the
Government.

CJMurray, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 8:01 p.m.

Anyone who thinks Matheson is going to beat any Republican in Utah hasn't lived
here very long. 2012 is going to be a throw out the incumbents year just like
2010 was, you can count on it. He is part of the big spending regime in
Washington that is going out.

gcp52Lehi, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 7:37 p.m.

Great! Anybody but Hatch! Anyone who has been in Washington for more than 3
decades needs to be removed! I believe in term limits, and politicians who have
been in office as long as Hatch, have lost touch with reality.

However, I do not particularly care for Matheson. Essentially I think we
should first kick out every politician in DC and impose term limits. It is time
for our political leaders to stop playing politics and worrying about their
future careers in their respective parties and start worrying about how we are
going to pay for the $61.6 trillion future UNFUNDED liabilities our government
has to some how pay. If anyone thinks they are going to fund that with ONLY tax
hikes or expense cuts they are crazy, confused, and oblivious to reality.

Brent T. Aurora COAurora, CO

Aug. 7, 2011 5:51 p.m.

O brother! He is running on the merits that he alone voted Yes on August 1st
rather than... I'm with the GOP in Utah (wish more of our reps in Colorado had
done so) in voting NO. First, because the default was the better choice...
along with letting the "too big to fail" banks go belly up two years
ago. And second, the Aug bill is seriously flawed.

Bottom line, the
government needs to balance it's annual budget no matter who it hurts or
effects. We need to live as a nation on what we have. And the debt not only
shouldn't be added to, but needs to get paid off. Again, national, macro
economic scale, 14 trillion plus in debt means we are an impoverished nation
already... and passing that bill on to future generations is cowardly, immoral
and a national embarrassment.

We need to let the house of cards
collapse, face the consequences, and then, as Americans, rebuild from the ashes.
But that can't happen so long as politicians and the electorate that put them
there, are afraid to do what is right and lead us in taking our medicine.

high school fanHuntington, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 3:47 p.m.

just another comment about Matheson, Name one thing he has ever been for and led
the charge on, htere isn't anything. Jim is not a leader, he is a politician.
This country and this state needs leaders. We need someone with good ideas and
the will to get them passed. Jim does what he needs to to get re-elected.

terra novaPark City, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 2:12 p.m.

Hatch IS pandering to the tea-party (but only because he knows that they are
over-represented at the State Republican Convention). You don't survive as long
as he has without understanding political reality.

If
middle-of-the-road Republicans want to change the direction of the GOP in Utah,
they MUST get involved at the grass roots level. (Mattheson is a decent guy,
but he is much more of a Hillary C. Democrat than you might guess.) We
"middle of the roaders" MUST go to neighborhood caucuses (and bring
all our friends) so we can be elected as State and County Delegates and sway our
state away from special interests so locked into one point of view that they
CANNOT and WILL NOT consider any kind of compromise.

The
simple-minded rhetoric of the extreme-right led to short-sighted political
brinksmanship and grandstanding on the debt ceiling. This was money already
spent! We had no choice but to pay. But when Senators and Congressmen openly
wonder if we should default... it leads to S&P downgrading US Credit. The
stock market declines. The loss of perceived wealth leads to contraction and
economic recovery dies. And we suffer.

terra novaPark City, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 2:02 p.m.

I would not vote for Jason Chaffetz for Dog Catcher. He is a prima donna (and a
political opportunist) with an ego larger than Utah. Plus, I like dogs.

CBSalt Lake City, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 1:08 p.m.

I hope he does run for the Senate, then maybe we can be rid of him.

Jimmy JamesSalt Lake City, Ut

Aug. 7, 2011 12:14 p.m.

I consider myself conservative / republican, but I would be happy to vote for
Matheson in whatever race he chooses to run.

MaggieSaint George, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 11:59 a.m.

OK so I just copied this so I sould send it back to you after Matheson looses
for whatever he runs for. Pretty much cannot figue out if you folks believe this
or you had nothing else to print.

isrredLogan, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 11:58 a.m.

"They are Politicians FIRST and Representatives SECOND."The
problem is that the people of Utah/Delegates continually put POLITICIANS into
office because the people that behave like representatives and do what is best
for the country in times of crisis (Bob Bennett) are rejected by the political
process in Utah. We have nobody to blame but ourselves.

Rebel-AggieProvo, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 11:34 a.m.

I'm pretty sure that the #1 priority for Jim Matheson AND Orrin Hatch is to get
re-elected. They are Politicians FIRST and Representatives SECOND.

HelloooSalt Lake City, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 11:11 a.m.

The drum beat goes on for moderation, compromise. It is incessant. Whenever the
middle threatens the elite's vision of where the country should go. Any other
vision than the elite's is EXTREME. What is needed now is leadership, courage,
and vision to form a new consensus that will improve the economy, reinvigorate
the private sector, reinvigorate small businesses with new capital sources, stop
the exploding cost of medical treatment and education, save Soc. Sec, Medicare,
and Medicaid. This is what the people voted for with Mr. Obama and did not
receive. Standard and Poor's is the poll we should listen to. They down graded
the country's credit rating, and the plan on the table that they indicated would
have prevented this was cut, cap, and balance. There may be other plans, but
this was the only one of those being discussed that met their criteria to avoid
the downgrade. They know as we all should that the problem is not the debt
ceiling, but the DEBT. If Mr. Matheson has such qualities, the pass record
does not show it. So, he needs to come forward with something in the next 6
months or join Hatch in retirement.

dlw7LOGAN, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 10:40 a.m.

The numbers in polls depend on who you ask. One day the numbers favor on person,
the next day another.To be truly definitive you need a large number of people
from a broad spectrum of the public. Poll numbers should be take with a grain of
salt. As you can tell from the comments on this venue, there a lots and lots of
differing opinions.

Furry1993Somewhere in Utah, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 10:21 a.m.

to LBU | 1:36 a.m. Aug. 7, 2011

You said: "Funny, I would say
that Chaffetz is only interested in doing what is best for Utah and for the
country."

In truth, just the reverse is true. Chaffetz has
proven, time after time, that he doesn't give a fig about what is best for Utah
or the country. He just cares about political gamesmanship and power. He would
send the country right dow the toilet if it would enhance him politically. Even
Hatch (someone for whom I have no use) would be better than Chaffetz.

byronbcaSalt Lake City, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 10:13 a.m.

I've voted for Hatch 3 times in a row, but his obsession with protecting the
wealthy's tax breaks will cost him my vote next election.

As for
Matheson, I believe his record shows that he's a moderate whose views align with
the views of most middle ground Utahn's, he'll get my vote again.

I
will also never vote for anyone backed by the tea party, I believe that their
primary goal is protecting the wealthy and everything after that is not really
that important.

Reasonable PersonLayton, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 9:57 a.m.

How the US got into the financial mess we're in, since 2000--and yes, it looks
like a spending problem without additional revenue.

Why am I posting
this? Because we all need to wake up, and start paying for what we what our
country to do. If we want war, why are we also cutting taxes? If we want
seniors to have drug benefits, why do we still cut taxes?

perhaps Utahans are starting to wake up to the fact that if you are going to
throw out the incumbent, do not replace him/her with someone equally as
incompetent or someone worse. Maybe, just maybe, having an "R" by
your name will no longer guarantee your election in Utah? Maybe we've grown up?
I'm sure most Utahans have seen the "bang-up" job the tea-party has
done and are starting to think twice about who they vote for? We can only hope
so!

DR HallClearfield, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 9:30 a.m.

To get America back on track we need elected officials that put America's needs
first rather than Party wishes. To ressurect this country and economy we need
to things and those are a big sized jobs program for the millions of people out
of work and for the business comunity tp pay their far share of taxes, federal
and state. Companies need to pull outsourced jobs back into the US and fill
those jobs here. We need to replace those whom advocate the building of foreign
countries over the building of the USA now. I don't know if Matheson has enough
courage to do the right things at the national level and he has been there for a
while. He needs to communicate to the Whit House that Obama needs to stand up to
the Republicans and for Americans.

Kurt MatthiaPleasant Grove, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 9:28 a.m.

"I don't think that the activists in the Republican Party reflect the
opinion of the average Utah Republicans," Matheson told the Deseret
News.

Amen! I say "Go for it!" you'll get my vote although
I've voted mostly Republican until the last election. The Republican leadership
and currently elected officials in Utah live in a fantasy land. If it takes
raising taxes and cutting the military industrial complex to preserve our social
safety network, so be it.

WinglishLehi, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 9:21 a.m.

Jim Matheson is a true statesman. He isn't beholden to an extreme faction like
the other elected officials in Utah. Matheson is a conservative in the truest
sense. An extremist is not a conservative. 1300 delegates control the voice of
3 million Utahns every time a Republican is elected from our state. A
Republican who runs as a Democrat, like Matheson, can listen to the 3 million.
Which is the true representative?

photographermomSouth Jordan, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 9:20 a.m.

Nobody, and I mean nobody deserves to be re-elected.

OatmealWoods Cross, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 8:47 a.m.

Run for Governor, Matheson, run!

You could be the political
independent that we know you really are and you wouldn't have to deal with Nancy
Pelosi. That alone would save you money on antacids!

You could help
resolve the wilderness/public lands debate by arm-wrestling the extremists on
both sides!

You could defend public education from the radicals while
demanding fiscal responsibility and academic success from the school
districts.

You could help keep nuclear waste out of Utah, something
you truly care about!

You could go down as the greatest governor
since your father.

high school fanHuntington, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 8:44 a.m.

this is a funny poll. Matheson will probably not be re-elected in the the third
district but yet you would have him winning a state election. You call jim a
moderate but in reality he doesn't really step on utahn's toes unless he
absolutely has to, he avoids conflict for his own good. Matheson has done
nothing for the third district. writers at this newspaper really should get out
and due some probing instead of sitting back and offering opinions. this is not
an opinion paper, it is a news paper.

Polls schmolls. Polls are used to generate news and influence opinion. Notice
that such news articles rarely if ever publish the internals within the article.
You have to go hunting elsewhere for the info. I did, but couldn't find
anything. (To Deseret News: Please at least provide a link to the info in the
article. Thanks!)

In Utah, such polls are generally SLC-centric.
Matheson does well in SL county, but he would be wiped out everywhere else.
There is little chance Matheson becomes Governor, and even less chance he
becomes Senator.

FDRfanSugar City, ID

Aug. 7, 2011 8:20 a.m.

"In this world of a more and more polarized debate, most people want
elected officials to be constructive and pragmatic and try to solve problems and
make progress."

This is what we wanted in the last election -
get rid of party bickering and gridlock. Americans are putting too much faith in
talk show hosts. Look at their ratings and their messages. There is no reason
why we cannot study issues for ourselves and that includes listening, carefully
and thoughtfully, to other points of view.

Most Truthful and PatrioticLayton, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 8:18 a.m.

As a UTAHN, I'd proudly support Matheson against Hatch.

DN SubscriberCottonwood Heights, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 8:09 a.m.

"Trillion Dollar Jim" Matheson is part of the problem in Washington,
not part of the solution.

Although recently he has broken with the
party of Pelosi a couple of times on spending, and notably DID vote for Cut Cap
and Balance, he remains part of the Democrat machine that has gotten us into
this spending mess.

We cannot count on Matheson to really make the
changes in spending needed to get us out of this mess, so moving him from the
House to the Senate would be just sending our kids additional bills to pay for
the rest of their lives.

Jimmy needs to get out of the family
political business and get a real job.

Hatch needs to retire with
dignity, as he must not be reelected.

Jason Chaffetz would be a great
Senator, and has shown his willingness and ability to actually fight to chance
Washington, while Hatch only tells us how great he will do next time after
meager accomplishments the last 36 years.

The headline for this story
should have been "Chaffetz or Matheson could win Utah Senate race."

JLFullerBoise, ID

Aug. 7, 2011 7:54 a.m.

Voices of reason the man says. Then why is he a Democrat? If ever there was a
reason to jump parties is has to be because Barack Obama and company have messed
our country up so badly that even a traditional moderate has zero chance to have
an impact on anything meaningful. Democrats are kept so tightly under control
that sending another one back to DC just continues the death spiral Obama and
the Democrats have put us into.

one voteSalt Lake City, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 7:51 a.m.

His chances are better with the backlash over the tea party debt ploy and the
refusal to let the Bush tax cuts expire.

DistantThunderVincentown, NJ

Aug. 7, 2011 7:37 a.m.

Do the moderates have a plan for repaying the principle on 14 Trillion dollars?
No? I didn't think so. Democrats have fought reforms in every arena: the
borders, the schools, entitlements. Enough.

Fitness FreakSalt Lake City, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 7:30 a.m.

If Matheson could barely pull off a win in his Congressional district (heavily
democratic), how could he win in a statewide contest?

It would be
interesting to see if this latest "poll" is simply another "push
poll" similar to the ones used to advocate for illegal immigrant
amnesty.

We all know that the lamestream media is uncomfortable (to
say the least)with the Republican party, but are they NOW starting to openly
advocate for particular candidates from the opposing political party?

tenxSanta Clara, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 7:20 a.m.

Why replace someone who has been there too long with someone else who has been
there too long? Cut, cap, balance and recycle with someone new.

windsorCity, Ut

Aug. 7, 2011 7:08 a.m.

"I don't think the activists in the Republican party reflect the average
Utah Republican. " AMEN.

CPTooele, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 6:55 a.m.

I would vote for Hatch again before I would put Matheson in..I have seen what
the Democrats have done in the White House these last 2 and a half years and I
don't like it :(

Dixie DanSaint George, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 6:32 a.m.

With Congress has a 82% disapproval rating, why would we want to vote for any
incumbent in 2012 regardless of their political party?

T-JeffUinta Basin, Utah

Aug. 7, 2011 6:22 a.m.

One thing is for sure, if the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee press
secretary doesn't like our Senators they must be doing their job and
representing the views of those of us that voted for them. I'm no "special
interest" but they have represented me pretty well since the last election
and that certainly is best for their careers.

IdahoStrangerNEWDALE, ID

Aug. 7, 2011 6:14 a.m.

Quoting from the article: "For Matheson, his "yes" vote to
raise the debt ceiling on Aug. 1 is a prime example of the problem-solving
pragmatism he believes most voters crave. Unlike Utah's four Republicans in
Congress, Matheson decided as a matter of principle that a flawed bill to
increase the debt limit was immensely better than the alternative a government
default."

All those YES votes surely did a great job of fixing
our economy. And once again the media plays the same old lie - "a
government default".

Matheson did not contribute to the solution
to the problem as he later admits, but in fact contributed to increasing the
problem by adding even more debt. He is going the wrong way to fix economic
problems.

Thank him for contributing to the down-grading of our
credit rating. Can we trust him with the "credit card"? If he does
not have America as his first interest, then we are all in trouble! His voting
record says he does not.

If the debt limit had not been increased,
the US could have still not defaulted on its debts by simply doing away with
some of the "give away" programs.

NeilTClearfield, UT

Aug. 7, 2011 6:07 a.m.

Senator Hatch has sold his soul to the tea party. He needs to stand on his
principles and defend his record, not run from it. I am a Republican who would
vote for Matheson. Boehner and Obama had a debt deal worked out that was far
better than what finally passed. The tea party de-railed it because of
provisions to eliminate corporate tax breaks and close tax loopholes that
benefited the wealthiest of Americans. If the Repubs kick Hatch out in the
caucuses it could cost them dearly. The tea party is falling out of favor.
This country is screaming for an end to the extreme partisanship being promoted
by talk radio and those on the far right. Unfortunately many in the tea party
refuse to listen. It's tine politicians of both parties grew up and realize
that you can't always have your way on everything. There are times you have to
put the best interests of the country ahead of party loyalty and political
ideology.

LBUFORT CAMPBELL, KY

Aug. 7, 2011 1:36 a.m.

From the article:"Orrin Hatch and Jason Chaffetz have shown that
they're only interested in doing what's best for their own careers and the
special interests they represent in Washington," said Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee press secretary Shripal Shah. "Utah voters want an
independent senator that puts Utah first and is willing to take on their own
party Democrat or Republican to do what's right for Utah."

Funny, I would say that Chaffetz is only interested in doing what is best for
Utah and for the country. He has bucked the GOP establishment and supported
unpopular legislation, not so he could get reelected, but so he can save our
Republic from drowning in debt. I like him because he does what is right, not
what is always popular. Too bad I can't say the same for Hatch.